Written By:
Dawn Mankowski, Laura McCann, Jessica Pace, and Carrie Smith from the Barbara Goldsmith Book & Paper Conservation Lab
NYU Libraries Recommendations
The Barbara Goldsmith Preservation & Conservation Department’s recommendations for safe handling of library materials are posted to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) LibGuide, under the tab “Safe Handling of Library Materials.” The goal of these recommendations, to be followed by staff in departments that handle circulating collections during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is to protect the health of NYU staff, faculty, students, and other members of the NYU community. Recommendations are subject to change based on ongoing research, and the LibGuide page will be updated accordingly.
These recommendations are based on research summarized in the LibGuide, including:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Information
According to the CDC, the virus naturally dies within hours to days. Hard, non-porous surfaces like door handles should be cleaned if visibly dirty and disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant. Soft, porous surfaces like towels or clothing should also be cleaned with EPA-approved disinfectants and, if possible, laundered. Disinfectant wipes and other materials used for cleaning and sanitizing should be placed directly in waste bins.
REALM Project
The primary source of information regarding SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) on library materials is the REALM Project: REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums. The project is a collaboration among OCLC, The Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Batelle.
Spurred by a preliminary literature review that identifies the scarcity of peer-reviewed publications on the topic of SARS-CoV-2 on inanimate surfaces, the project is testing the viability of SARS-CoV-2 on a variety of surfaces in order to guide the archives, museum, and library communities on the safe handling of collections materials. A second literature review summarized scientific findings from May 2020 to August 2020 and was released on October 14, 2020.
Results for the first testing phase released June 22, 2020, show that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was not detectable on common circulating library materials after three days (72 hours)
The results from the second phase of testing were released on July 20, 2020. This phase tested a wider range of library materials and found that the virus was not detectable on these materials after 2-4 days (48 to 96 hours), depending on the sample.
Phase 3 results were released on August 18, 2020. Samples tested in this phase were plastic-based materials that are used in library storage, transit, or exhibition. The virus was detectable on some of these materials after 5 days (120 hours), depending on the sample.
Testing results from phase 4 were released on September 3, 2020. This phase focused on re-testing some of the materials from the first phase, but in a stacked configuration that reproduces library book return and storage conditions. Results indicated that the virus was detectable on all materials after six days in a stacked configuration, showing that stacking materials prolongs the viability of the SARS-Cov-2 virus.
Results from the fifth phase of testing were released on October 14, 2020. Materials tested were textiles and leathers commonly found in libraries. Results indicated that some of the materials showed detectable SARS-CoV-2 virus until Day 8.
Additional testing of library, archival, and museum materials is ongoing, and future recommendations will be based on the results of this research. For other research studies, see our LibGuide for summaries.
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